FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 11, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT
Julie Stoltman, Office of Council Member Ryan Mello, julie.stoltman@cityoftacoma.org,
(253) 591-5164
Anita Gallagher, Office of Council Member Marty Campbell, anita.gallagher@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5166

Tacoma Leaders Call for Community Response to Hate Crime

Community leaders, Oasis Youth Center, and the Rainbow Center are co-hosting a community forum in response to an anti-LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) hate crime that left one person hospitalized on Feb. 8, 2015. The public is invited to attend the event, which will be held at the Oasis and Rainbow Center building at 2215 Pacific Avenue on Saturday Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The forum is co-hosted by Tacoma City Council Members Marty Campbell and Ryan Mello, State Representative Laurie Jinkins (27th LD), and Tacoma School Board Director Catherine Ushka. "We need to stand together in response to this horrific event," said Council Member Marty Campbell, "Hate crimes affect our whole city. We need to make sure there is understanding across all communities to support, educate and heal."

The forum will provide a safe place for community members to offer messages of support to the survivor, engage in dialogue, and hear information from local leaders and resource providers. Members of the City of Tacoma’s Human Rights Commission and Office for Equity and Human Rights will be in attendance to facilitate small group discussions. “It’s important to come together as a community to say ‘no’ to this type of hate crime in Tacoma and to work in partnership to make sure this does not happen again.” said Council Member Ryan Mello.

Oasis and the Rainbow Center are part of the Pierce County Crime Victim Service Center and offer specialized support to victims and survivors of assault, hate crimes, attempted homicide, and other violent crimes. For more information, visit oasisyouthcenter.org and rainbowcntr.org.